We are currently in a state of flux. Numerous doctor appointments and not knowing where we stand most of the time. We have been told that a complete recovery is unlikely, which means we are living on a day-by-day basis. In reality, we should all live that way; however, it doesn't seem to happen until forced. So we are living in the moment; sometimes those moments are good and sometimes not.
Addressing the problem directly, Butch's heart is giving out. We didn't know he had heart issues until last February, when we went to ER early in the morning because he was coughing a lot and bringing up lots of phlegm. We thought it was a cold/allergies situation. He ended up in the hospital for a week and a stent in his heart. He recovered quite nicely...we thought.
The one ongoing big red flag throughout is losing weight without trying. We knew he was losing weight; what we didn't know was the reason why. A doctor explained it to us quite clearly recently. Food is the energy that keeps everything working, and when your heart, the main engine keeping you alive, is not getting what it needs to work, it will take all it can from wherever it can. As we age, it gets more difficult to keep it all working. If you are losing weight and not trying, do something about it! Butch had been losing weight for over a year. We did not take it seriously enough.
I do not know how much knowing all this from the get-go would have helped, but still, I wish we had known.
Currently, his heart is working at 25 percent. He has no energy. His legs feel like jello. He has fallen numerous times. He has had two cardioversions, shocking the heart. They have both worked for a time. The doctor says that after 80, it is very unlikely that it will continue to work. He currently gets around with a walker. Everything is difficult.
At this minute, he is taking numerous meds for the morning, and he will repeat the process at night. Like I said, we are living in the moment, and the future will just have to wait.
We are blessed with many friends and family, and they are all coming to the rescue. We appreciate them beyond words!
